How To Maintain A Good Work-Life Balance When Working From Home

With millions of UK workers now working from home, maintaining a good work-life balance can be hard as the boundary between work and leisure environments is crossed.

A poor work-life balance leads to unnecessary stress, which in turn has negative effects on workers’ happiness and health. Not only that, but work completed is more likely to be of a lower quality, and productivity levels ultimately decreased.

Our team at Office Furniture Online have shared some helpful tips and ideas for working from home, to aid the process of creating and maintaining a good work-life balance.

Stick to a Schedule

Whether you’re a remote worker or own a home business, having a set working from home routine is vital for a good work-life balance.

To create a sense of workspace normality, aim to start and finish work at the same time each day. This gives structure to the working day, as well as ensures set times for both work and leisure. Try and break for lunch at the same time each day too, and set specific times to run any errands that need doing.

If you have homeschooling commitments, mark out set times where homeschooling will take place. This will easily separate homeschooling from work, causing an overall increase in productivity.

For those who might struggle with remembering the times to start and finish work, we recommend using a whiteboard to keep notes. Chalkboards are also ideal for doing so, and we recommend using a planner for more intricate time organisation.

Work in a Designated Working Area

While not every home worker may have the room to create a home office, it’s important to designate a specific working area to separate it from the rest of your home. This not only prevents distractions from everyday household situations and objects but also helps your mind focus on work when you’re in this space.

Wherever you’re working, try and ensure it’s as spacious as possible and not somewhere you relax on a night or weekend. For example, we recommend working in a separate room to your living room, and try and avoid working from your bed at all costs. If you work in the same spaces you relax, your mind is less-able to switch off outside working hours, and you’ll find yourself worrying about work when you’re meant to be relaxing.

Office Furniture Online stocks a wide range of office screens that’ll help you divide rooms, creating a specific working space and increased levels of productivity.

Get Some Exercise

Exercising at home is a great way to take a break from work and split up the work day into doable chunks. Whether you’re getting up and taking your dog for a walk or just going out to the local park, a dose of Vitamin D is good for the busy mind and a great way to distinguish leisure time from work time.

Doing some form of exercise at home before and after work isn’t only good for fitness, but helps gear you up for the working day ahead and wind down at the end. This wind down is vital to turn off from work mode and helps ease a busy day into a relaxing evening.

Decorate with Office-Specific Furniture

Decorating with office-specific furniture has proven to increase levels of productivity and focus when working from home. It not only encourages a good work ethic but also provides boundaries between weekends and leisure activities to ensure a healthy work-life balance.

Choose from suitable office desks and office chairs to create a suitable working environment at home, and prevent distractions in the home office space by clearing up papers and wires with office storage and cable management methods.

Plan Out of Work Activities

When working from home, it can feel like work is never-ending. Having a reason to stop working not only boosts morale throughout the day but also creates a more equal balance between work and play.

There’s a wide variety of options even if you are staying at home, from watching a film with your family in the evening to taking your dog on a long dog walk. Start doing your favourite hobbies from home, or begin a new hobby that excites you.

It’s good to plan future activities with your friends and family such as going out for drinks or going to the beach. This gives you something to look forward to at the end of a busy working week and helps you turn off from work when you need to.

There are lots of easy ways to help maintain a good work-life balance. Follow our expert team on Facebook for more helpful tips.